MAKURDI: Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has explained why he travelled to Benue State after his convoy was reportedly attacked by thugs while he was heading to Yelwata community in Guma Local Government Area.
Obi said his visit to Benue was strictly humanitarian and was not connected to his 2027 presidential campaign.
The former Anambra State governor spoke after the reported attack, expressing concern over what he described as the declining standard of political engagement in Nigeria.
I am in Benue today not for campaigns. I only wanted to go to a place where people lost their lives, to condole and show solidarity with them,” Obi stated.
Obi had arrived in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, earlier on Tuesday and was expected to proceed to Yelwata to sympathise with victims and residents affected by the deadly attack that occurred in the community on June 13, 2025.
The attack claimed scores of lives and displaced residents, prompting widespread condemnation and renewed demands for improved security across Benue State.
According to Obi, his decision to visit the community was motivated by a desire to identify with families who lost loved ones and show solidarity with those affected by the tragedy.
However, his journey to Yelwata was reportedly disrupted when suspected thugs attacked his convoy along the Gboko-Makurdi Expressway.
The Benue State NDC Publicity Secretary, Agile Bem Ordedoo, alleged that thousands of thugs were mobilised to prevent Obi from reaching Yelwata.
Thugs in their numbers mobilised in thousands and stopped the presidential candidate of NDC, Mr Peter Obi, from entering Yelwata to condole with victims and offer relief materials worth billions, Ordedoo alleged.
The NDC official said Obi had planned to present relief materials to victims and affected residents as part of his humanitarian mission to the community.
The allegation, however, has been rejected by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State.
The APC Publicity Secretary in the state, Benedict Yaweh, said the party was not aware of the reported attack and denied that its members were responsible.
“We are not aware of the attack if truly they were attacked in Makurdi. If they were attacked, it may be from their aggrieved supporters and not APC members. We are a peace-loving party and we don’t involve in thuggery,” Yaweh said in a telephone interview.
Reacting to the incident, Obi said the development was an indication of how far political activities had deteriorated in the country.
You can see the level to which our politics has degenerated,” he said.
He recalled that he had used an opportunity the previous day, while attending the launch of an office belonging to an APM candidate, to appeal for a different approach to politics in Nigeria.
That was why yesterday, while joining the APM candidate in launching his office, I used the opportunity to plead with our people, let our next politics be a politics of unity,” Obi stated.
The NDC candidate’s comments suggest that he wants political competition to be separated from humanitarian interventions, particularly when communities are dealing with the aftermath of violence and loss of lives.
His visit to Yelwata was therefore presented as an effort to sympathise with victims rather than an opportunity to campaign for votes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The reported attack on Obi’s convoy has nevertheless triggered fresh political controversy in Benue, with the NDC accusing political opponents of deliberately obstructing the visit while the APC denied involvement.
The incident also comes amid continuing concerns over insecurity in Benue, where several communities have experienced deadly attacks and displacement.
The June 13, 2025, attack in Yelwata remains one of the major security incidents to have affected the state, with victims and displaced residents continuing to draw attention from political leaders, humanitarian organisations and other stakeholders.
Meanwhile, attempts to obtain an independent confirmation of the latest incident from the Benue State Police Command were unsuccessful.
The command’s spokesperson, Peter Orchia Aondongu, reportedly did not respond to calls seeking clarification on the alleged attack and the circumstances surrounding the disruption of Obi’s movement.
Obi’s explanation of his visit is likely to fuel further discussion about political tolerance, security and the treatment of opposition figures as the country moves closer to the 2027 elections.
For Obi, however, the central message of the Benue visit was that politics should not prevent leaders from showing solidarity with citizens who have suffered loss.
His appeal for politics of unity has now become a key part of his response to the incident, as questions remain over who was responsible for the reported attack and why his humanitarian visit to Yelwata was disrupted.
